


At seventeen, dreams do satisfy

by delphinelacroix



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne turns 17, Don't worry it turns out alright, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Post-Season/Series 03, Tags May Change, Worried Gilbert, an obscene amount of laughter, poor kid he's trying his best to make her birthday great, the boat scene, well not THE boat scene but A boat scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23043088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delphinelacroix/pseuds/delphinelacroix
Summary: ”The boat rocked dangerously twice before tipping completely on its side, dumping its two occupants into the lake.Anne didn’t even have time to scream before she plunged into the water.”-In which Gilbert and Anne go on a completely disastrous date.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 22
Kudos: 202





	At seventeen, dreams do satisfy

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking out my story! This was supposed to be up in time for Anne’s birthday, but I got behind. This is my first published fanfiction, and I’m so happy to be sharing it with the AWAE fandom. The title is a quote from ”Anne of Avonlea” Happy reading!

Diana wasn’t anywhere in sight, and Anne was beginning to worry. The train station was crowded enough at this time of day, and it seemed all the more chaotic while standing in the midst, trying to spot a flash of Diana’s blue dress. Anne could just barely peer over the throng of people. She hadn’t the faintest clue as to why Diana had insisted upon taking an earlier train.

_“To make sure the parlor is ready for company,” Diana had said._

_“Your parlor is_ always _ready for company,” Anne had retorted right back._

But Diana set her mind to it, and Anne couldn’t sway her. And as Diana took one less class than Anne on Monday’s, she caught an earlier train to Avonlea. Much to Anne’s dismay, she was left to take the noon train alone.

Finally, she spotted a familiar buggy a way off from the crowd and pushed her way to it. The Barry’s carriage was unmistakable; black and sleek, it was open on the sides with a hood covering the leather seats.

Diana must’ve been held up getting their tea ready. Maybe their parlor _hadn’t_ been ready. The carriage was empty when she reached it, and Anne, thinking Diana had sent a driver to fetch her, began to look around for him.

“Looking for someone?” A familiar voice from behind startled her.

Anne whipped around. “Gilbert! What’re you doing here?”

Her heart leaped in her chest seeing him for the first time in months. He was exactly as she remembered. Brown curls in disarray on his head, a lopsided grin, and teasing hazel eyes, twinkling in amusement at her. “You don’t sound very pleased.”

She was so caught up in drinking in his presence that she nearly missed what he’d said, and the underlying tone of worry.

“No! No- I am,” she stuttered. “It’s just- when… how did you-”

“I can explain on the way,” he saved her from her rambling. Taking her parasol, he helped her into the carriage before he climbed in after. With a sharp whistle and a tap of the reigns, they were off.

“I took the last class of the day off yesterday to catch the train, and I only got here a couple of hours ago,” he said. Anne took this time to admire his side profile. It had only been December since she had last seen him, but the aching in her heart made it seem much longer. It might’ve been her imagination, but he seemed taller, broader somehow. He was wearing his Sunday best, and she was glad she’d decided to wear her nice green dress.

Her gaze traced down the slope of his nose, down to his chin. _A very splendid chin, indeed._ His jaw clenched every once in a while whenever they passed over bumpy ground, and she couldn’t help but appreciate the muscle twitching.

“I saw Bash and Dellie already. She’s grown since Christmas!” He turned toward her suddenly, catching her staring.

Anne felt a blush creep up her neck, and she quickly interrupted whatever he was going to say next. “And what about your assignments? Surely you’ll be missing important lessons.”

He took a long look at her before turning back to the road. “I’d much rather spend time with you than my professors. Besides, I’ll only miss one lecture tomorrow if I leave early.”

Satisfied with his answer, she looped her arm in the crook of his, scooting closer and enjoying the proximity the seat forced them to be in. The March day was clear and warm, and after a week of downpour, the sky had finally opened up, and the hot sun bore down with almost a vengeance.

Anne sat up suddenly, “But Diana-”

“-Arranged this and even offered to be our chaperone.” Gilbert interrupted.

She shook her head. “I should have known she was plotting something.” She laughed, giddiness settling in her stomach. Her dearest bosom friend had given her a spectacular birthday surprise indeed. As the trees passed by, their green bows dipping in the gentle breeze, she felt that she couldn’t get any happier than this.

“So what have you got planned for us today?” She asked.

“Have you ever been on the Barry’s pond?”

“Lake of Shining Waters.”

“Lake of Shining Waters,” he corrected. It was his turn then to look at her, his gaze burning into the side of her face. He had looked at her that way for years, and although slightly uncomfortable, it had been easy to ignore. Now that she knew his true feelings, it felt like the glow of a thousand suns and caused a physical reaction in her that she couldn’t explain. It was quite difficult to ignore as of late.

“No,” she answered, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. “Well, almost, but we were interrupted by Mrs. Barry before I could go anywhere.”

“Then I hope you like boats.” Gilbert finally turned away, but it hardly helped to tame the turning in her belly.

-

They arrived at the pond, it’s clear surface glimmering under the bright March sun, with only a soft wind to cause ripples. Diana stood at the edge, and a small rowboat rocked in the water beside her.

Anne leaped down from the carriage before it slowed to a complete stop (nearly giving Gilbert a heart attack judging from his startled yelp) and threw her arms around Diana. Gilbert whistled for the horses again, setting a quick pace in the direction of the Barry’s stables.

“Happy birthday Anne,” Diana said, stepping back, her hands sliding down Anne’s arms to grasp her hands. “I hope you’re not upset with me for skipping our tea.”

“I suppose I can forgive you just this once,” She said. “But I expect an afternoon with you sometime this week.”

“You’ll have that soon enough,” she answered, grinning. “And you needn’t worry about Matthew and Marilla. They have been informed of your whereabouts and company.”

When Gilbert arrived, half jogging and nearly out of breath, Anne was unlooping the rope that secured the boat to a tree.

“Let me get that for you,” he said.

“I forget,” Anne said, stepping back and turning to Diana. “He’s an expert sailor, you know.”

Gilbert rolled his eyes.

Diana peered over Anne’s shoulder at him. “There doesn’t seem to be much room on that boat. And Marilla wouldn’t be too pleased if you drowned on your birthday.”

“ _Fiddlesticks_ , she’d say,” Anne said. “Although I don’t suppose there’s a death more romantic than drowning at such a young age.”

Gilbert held out his hand for Anne, palm upward. “Right this way, miss,” he said in a false, butler voice. “And there will be no drowning, don’t say that.”

Anne took his hand, climbing into the small rowboat, and settling in the seat. Once she was seated comfortably, Gilbert pushed off from the shore and hopped in the seat across from her with surprising agility. A couple of strokes from the oars and they were off, the hull cutting through the mirror-like pond. Anne blew a kiss to Diana, who blew one right back before heading inland.

“How have classes been?” Gilbert was the first to break the comfortable silence, only disturbed by the sound of his oars working the water.

“Wonderful! Miss Davis, you know, the woman professor I was telling you about, has offered to revise my personal writing.” Anne dipped her fingers in the water, enjoying the cool contrast to the warm air.

“That’s great, Anne. You’ll be a published author in no time.” He stopped rowing to let the oars hang from the hooks and the boat lazily floated along. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looked at her earnestly. “Remember me when you’re rich and famous?”

Anne flicked her fingers at him, splashing a few droplets of water across his face and curls.

“What about you? How are your roommates?”

“I don’t think anything much has changed since my last letter,” Gilbert said, wiping his face. “Fred still snores. Oh- Ronald Stuart’s sister still stops by often to see us. I think she’s got quite the crush on Fred. Can’t see why.”

They giggled like schoolchildren at that for a moment before Gilbert sat up with a start.

“I almost forgot!” He reached under his seat and pulled out a lopsided bouquet of wildflowers. “These are for you.”

She took them gently and bringing them to her face, inhaled deeply. “They’re lovely, Gil. Thank you.” She said it so sincerely that a tinge of pink appeared on Gilbert's cheeks.

“There hasn’t been very many flowers blooming lately, I figured you’d been deprived of a crown for a while.” He shrugged.

Anne set to work right away, pulling the wild bouquet apart and starting to weave. The shore grew more distant and Diana was completely out of sight. She couldn’t remember the last time they had a chance to be completely alone together, without fear of someone interrupting. Gilbert took back up the oars and paddled a couple of strokes to get the boat drifting again, and placed them back down.

“Remind you of your seafaring days?” She asked, glancing up from her nearly finished crown.

“I can’t say any of my crewmates were ever this pretty.”

They’d been courting for almost a year now, and Anne still didn’t know how to handle his compliments. There was a vast difference between blushing in the privacy of her dorm when she read them from his letters and hearing them in person. Especially coupled with the soft and honest look on his face. Sometimes it was hard to believe they were directed at her.

“That’s an awfully rude thing to say about Bash,” she finally managed to say.

Gilbert laughed and shook his head. Anne wrapped the final flower in the crown, and leaned in, placing it over Gilbert’s curls.

“Finished,” she said softly.

“Those were for you, you know,” he said, not moving.

Her hand lingered in his hair before resting in her lap. His eyes were soft, and she was close enough to see the faint smattering of freckles across his nose.

“I have more,” Anne said, leaning just an inch closer.

Her mind wandered to the last time they kissed. It was a few days after Christmas, out on the porch of Green Gables with the stars hanging high in the sky. The knowledge that Gilbert would be gone back to Toronto in the morning loomed over them, but neither of them wanted to mention it. Anne had stepped out to wish him goodnight before his trek back to the Blythe-Lacroix orchard, and a lump stuck in her throat. Gilbert’s eyes flicked to over her shoulder at the lights dimming inside the house, signaling Matthew and Marilla’s turning in for the night. Then suddenly he was pulling her in. Their lips met in a searing kiss, arms molding around one another, and it seemed like hours before they pulled away, hearts beating and lips swollen. “ _Goodnight, Anne_ ,” he’d whispered, brushing a curl from her face.

The heat she’d felt from his lips, his hands around her waist, and his gaze all came rushing back at the moment that his eyes locked on hers. She couldn’t wait any longer, and she leaned in, intending to act on the feeling that had been simmering in her all day.

Just as their lips were about to connect, something cold and wet brushed against her ankle, shocking Anne into sitting upright. Gilbert nearly fell forward into her lap at her sudden absence. “Wha-”

“The boat is leaking!” Her sudden exclamation jerked them into the present. Where they were on a boat. In the middle of a pond.

And it was leaking.

The boat must’ve been leaking for some time, completely escaping their notice. The water level had risen nearly to Anne’s ankles and only seemed to be getting higher since her first outcry.

Gilbert scrambled for the oars, while Anne started to frantically scoop water out of the boat. For a while, they worked as a team, _row, scoop. Row, scoop._ Gilbert moved the boat along as quickly as he could, the muscle in his jaw twitched. The cuffs of Anne’s sleeves were soaked, but she paid them no attention.

However, it was fighting an uphill battle, and they were only about twenty feet from the shore when the boat suddenly dipped to one side, taking on a lot more water. Anne shrieked and tried to stand up, which proved to be a big mistake. The boat rocked dangerously twice before tipping completely on its side, dumping its two occupants into the lake.

Anne didn’t even have time to scream before she plunged into the water. The icy cold shocked and enveloped her. Water filled her nose, and she kicked frantically for air. A strong hand suddenly gripped her arm and yanked her almost painfully to the surface. Anne gasped for air, coughing. She now managed to tread the water the way Matthew had taught her.

“ _Anne!_ Are you alright?” Gilbert sounded frantic. “Here, move your arms like this- kick-”

“I know how to swim!” She said, angrily, and yanked herself out of his grasp. Almost immediately the weight of her skirts dragged her under again. Gilbert pulled her back up.

“Not in that dress, you don’t!” His tone matched the fire of her own as he looped his arm under hers, and started swimming to the shore.

Anne pulled away when she felt her feet touch the bottom, and they both sat down hard on the bank, breathing harshly in exhaustion. Her green skirts were completely waterlogged, and she was thankful she decided to wear a corset, not needing to scandalize with the transparency of her white blouse. Her updo had completely fallen apart and was now sticking uncomfortably to her neck.

Gilbert’s white shirt clung to his chest, and his hair was plastered to his forehead. But the most noticeable thing about him was the utter look of misery on his face. He caught her staring, and grimaced, an apology working its way up to his throat.

Before he could say anything, Anne burst into a fit of laughter. Gilbert’s eyes widened at her in bewilderment.

“I’m sorry,” he tried again, but Anne was nearly bent over in a fit of giggles. After trying a couple more times, he relented, laughing contagiously along with her.

Anne managed to finally say “I don’t think we’re cut out to be sailors,” when the amusement of their predicament died down and they caught their breath.

“It’s a good thing we’re in college,” Gilbert chuckled.

“Look at us! Fine, educated, young, college students,” she giggled. “Sitting sopping on the shore with our boat at the bottom of the lake.”

Gilbert sighed mournfully, frowning at the faint ripples still on the water. His flower crown was scattered across the surface of the pond. He stood and brushed off his pants before offering his hand to Anne. “Let’s get you home and dried off.”

“No!” She shouted, startling him. “I mean, if- if we show back up like this- you know how Marilla gets! And- and Diana, she’s not with us right now! Chaperoning, I mean. Like we’re supposed to. And I…”

Anne caught her breath, pausing and collecting her thoughts from her rant. “I don’t want this to end, yet.”

Gilbert, listening to her with his eyebrows furrowed, didn’t answer for a moment. His eyes swept over her trembling form before nodding. “Come with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I originally planned for this just to be a one-shot, but somehow it got turned into a two-chapter fic. The next chapter will most likely be out on or by Monday. Comments, and kudos are appreciated.


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